Conveyer



R. E. BRIGGS July 31, 1945.

I CONVEYER Filed Nov. 18, 1944 INVENTOR; 4 I QOBERT E. Bases I v vPatented July 31, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONVEYER Robert E.Briggs, Columbus, Ohio, assignor to The Jeffrey Manufacturing Company, acorporation of Ohio Application November 18, 1944, Serial No. 564,055

2 Claims.

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevational view showing the head ordischarge end of the conveyer incorporating the features of myinvention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional elevational view taken on the line 22of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig, 3 is an enlarged plan view, showing the chain and flight conveyermechanism and taken on the line 3-3 of Fig, 1, looking in the directionof the arrows; and a s Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of theintegrally formed side bars and flights of the conveyer chain and flightmechanism.

The conveyor mechanism herein disclosed is an improvement over thatdisclosed in my Patent 2,286,666 for a Conveyer, dated June 16, 1942. Itis to be understood that unless a' contrary fact is indicated, thestructure herein disclosed follows that of said patent. V

In the operation of the conveyer mechanism disclosed in my Patent2,286,666 above identified, it has been found that under certaincircumstances the width of the trough was inadequate for very large logsand in some instances the logs would lie in the trough, and the conveyerchain with its flights would pass under the logs, without conveying themalong the trough. As a consequence it is desirable to provide a troughof greater width and at the same time provide mechanism in connectionwith the conveyor chain which has a double function of guiding theconveyer chain so as to maintain it substantially along the center ofthe trough bottom, while at the same time to insure that any logs in thetrough will be conveyed therealong by the traveling chain and flightconveyer mechanism.

In addition, it is desired to maintain a maxistructure of the mechanismherein disclosed accomplishes these desirable results.

The conveyer herein disclosed includes a supporting frame [0 made up ofa trough H formed by side walls l2, l2, at least a portion of which sidewalls slopes downwardly and inwardly to a trough bottom [3 which ispreferably, but not necessarily, provided with a reinforcing bottomplate H which forms a removable or renewable part of the bottom I3 ofsaid trough II. The bottom portions of the sloping walls l2 are alsoprovided with renewable wear strips l 5, [5 which take the wearoccasioned by side sloping bearing surfaces of an endless chain andflight conveyer mechanism l6, as hereinafter described more completely.

It is, of course, obvious that the working run of the endless chain [6will slide over the bottom l3 of the trough ll and after it passes.around a head sprocket [1, carried on a head shaft l8 which may bedriven by any desired source of power, such as an electric motor, thereturn run of the chain 16 will be supported on-a support and guide inthe form of an inverted channel I9 which may be supported by thesupporting frame It), as disclosed in-Fig. 2 of the drawing.

The chain and flight mechanism I6 is adapted to travel in the directionof the arrow 20 and convey logs longitudinally along the trough II. Itis to be noted that the bottom l3 of the trough i I has a greater widththan that disclosed in my patent above identified, and this is to insurethat any logs delivered to the trough will come into contact with theendless chain and flight conveyer mechanism 16 and thus be properlyconveyed therealong.

The endless chain and flight conveyer mechanism 16 includes alternatepivotally connected block links 2| and connecting links'22 which arepivotally connected by connecting pins 23. At desired intervals specialconnecting links 24 are provided.

Considering first the structure of the block links2l, these are'formedpreferably as'a single casting with end barrels 25 which are flat on topto provide large bearing areas for the chain l6 during its return run.In addition, the integral ,side bars 26 of the block links 2| have flathearing surfaces which lie in the same plane as the flat bearingsurfaces of the barrels 25. The flat bearing surfaces of the barrels 25have a width measured along a vertical plane which extends at rightangles to the axis of their pin holes which receives the pins 23, whichis substantially equal to the diameters of the barrels 25 and has of thechain "16,45 'pro me'd witht gi terauy outwardly eiit'endin wing, gim-r1ange;z,1:, th 1 bottom-70f wh h lies- 1 h isam Y.

- bottom. of the side ba'r. 26of whichit.isjani integfra part,' thusappre ciab1yfincrea singTthe';a.re Y I increases thelife' ofthe,block-linksizllfl '1 a The special connecting links-24 :are'forn byv. a pair of similar, 1 though" complementary, mm"

V 2- hers; including-T side bars or 'st'raps' 2 8, which, are

pivotallyattachedat'th I v I v I 5 necting'bloek Jinks 2|; :byappropriatelpivotpin 23; The topsof theside bars 2'81g'ra'd a1 2upwardly from therear' toward the a connecting side bar and flight"sitructu eiza formed as -a;' substantial 1. ;L,-jsha.ped integrastructuralmemb'er, a. Thebottox'ns of theside' bars links 24preferab1yli'e a singlel plane which al o" the planeiof the bo'ttonr'ottheblock links 2 pconsiderin'g the chain in'it'sworking runj position,

" so that said; .b ttoms f said connecting bars 28 andfiightsZB providefiat bearing surfaces which slidevbver th botton ijwi, M; of thetrdughfll ly "IThisoi cO'ur'se, also aids in"prolong ing th i feof-theehain andconveyer mechanism :I 6.

- During'the i eminirunof h chain,'.thejfor thus,

" mime-sue, e medit te. at

d scribed and chi ed. "in

v echrsiae sees plane" as th 7 viewedin'their workirig run;andadja(gent;,jqhei t l :forward ends-where they are pivotally attachedftothe 1eadin'g'b10C1; ilinkj'l'lyare provided laterally*extendingintegral flights- 2 the draw 28 andthe flights 29 of the specialconnecting The inneredge ofthe -flights29' has af heightI I "which isg'reater than that I of the -normal} donmnecting link'iz andof the blockl nkzl Thisiisw 7 also trueof the forward portions of the coinnecte 7..ing bars- 28, sothat said'inner ends r flig'hts .29 and forwardportions of connecting'bars 28 extend above the tops ofthe block links.21 during their 1 upperrun, as clearlydllustrated'inFig;2 of thewardportion s of the side bars 28 and theadjacent portiorisfoftl'iefiights 29 extendjdownwa rdlyl on opposite sides'of the supportingchannel IQancl v fc't-as guides to maintain the chain. 16 on" thesupport l3 during its return run; During its upper run'the chain I6 is vsubstantiallynlong' the-center of the troughll by virtueof the fact thatthe flights 29 areprqrnaintained swe ten-tr "b i ett i s con. 361fthainfor'convyinglogs and the ike linclu' 'ng interconnected1blockenactment- 2 mg iinks 'ror'mingy endless, 'chain ,'--"certain of i saidblock linlgs'jhavizig jinte'gra1.- wings adapted to?gsurfaces*forgsaidjlinks and: I certain 'ot s1 deonnecting'linksincluding 'side,' n bars, .eachfde ban having' spaced-.pinreceivingopenings jtherein; outwardly extending-integral g I i's j wn s enie id sb r d n ib vet i' 1 llrcon ecting said sid bar's tosaid bloc links.

ithrough' saidispacedopeningsj the :top'fiif v ach v flight:-' 1carrying-side bar sloping upwardly and f *gmerging above the block links withthe top of a 3 'fli'ght the; op-pr a; flight iextending outwardly;downwardly; and the b'ottems or said flights; 'side bars and bloek linkwings lying in thesame plane and-forming bearingsurfacesior thechain. I2. A conveyer cha'lrhfor conveying logs and withfthe upber'jruntraveling inthe direction of conyeyedi ,deliyered ti) the nu; ornes incontact with the chain "sliding 'bearin'g'area between it and truewof I4, a new one; may merely .be, put :ontopt of it.

oi -theUn itedyStates 1 q [the like including interconnected' block' andcon-V vided with? "sloping guiding bearing surfaces 30 -:on.their'bottern's; which bear against the wear fstripslB. t

of the'drawing it may be noted that In Fi 2 I have-illustrated twoslightly different forms of flights 29, those on the left-hand side ofthe chain coming to a sharp point at their extreme outer end, and thoseat the right-hand side be ing sheared to provide astub end. The stub endtype'is also illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawing.

e It is to be understood that either thesh'arp end or stubend type offlight 28 maybe employed.-

"gt nectin'g' lin ks jforn ing'an endless chain, certain of saidconnecting iinksi including side bars, each side her having spaced pinreceivingopenings therein; outwardly i ex'tending integral. nights on Isome'of said side bars, andpinspivotally connecting said side bars tosaid block links through said openings, the top of. eachffiightcarrying' side barsloping upwardly. and merging above theblocklinks With'th top of a:flight,- the top of a. flight extending outwardlydownwardly and 1 the bottoms of said "flights, side bars andbloek 1links lying in the same plane and forming bearing 1 surfaces for'thechain. t I ROBERT E. BRIGGS.

In the washes-brittle "kgn eterate mi echain n jconveyenmech'anismliiwill bem'oved aterialjsuch as logs organ'y other mjeyergmechamsin s ywhichsitis t ere 'ipng, width of thetrough 11,15 ade.-' quate I to;accommodate practically any log which 'sjreeei ed "particularly i in thepaper mill inconstruction'nlrovides for i tho e s l d m t attimay" kgsirithe details and'arran'gment of t departing frqni the pintand Scopetherefcrefiurishnot tobe'vre- V on"li'erein -'dis-' hu's esc ribed taliid fshownan -einbiodig

